Helllloooooo beautiful worshippers!!! I’ve missed you guys so much! You all are so dope because you read, and you know what they say; readers are winners! So you all are a bunch of winners! Lol no for real, I’ve been getting a lot of Inboxes asking about the next write up and that has shown me that you guys truly thirst for God, you desire to know Him and walk closer with Him by arming yourselves with knowledge. The knowledge of who Christ is, which helps us to worship Him better.
Well, it’s been quite a hectic season for me! I’m in a space where I’ve truly had to face myself and be concerned with being in right standing with God. This season has required time away from platforms that make me look like I’m in right standing and has brought me to my knees, a place of surrender, vulnerability, honesty and accountability. I’m doing this through a community of people that are journeying with me. This has once again reminded me of the importance of discipleship and accountability partners. It is easy to find oneself drowning in sin when there is no one to answer to, no one to tell your struggles and challenges. Even in using the words; struggles and challenges instead of calling it what it is; SIN. The devil lies so much and makes one think that by speaking, you expose yourself to scrutiny and embarrassment that lead to shame, but the truth of God’s Word says CONFESS YOUR SINS TO ONE ANOTHER SO THAT YOU MAY BE HEALED!!! THERE IS HEALING IN CONFESSION! that’s where our help lies!
The Christian path is not meant to be walked alone. It is in secrecy where sin thrives, but when brought to light, sin is disarmed.
On Sunday I met with friends of mine for a Bible study, we were discussing God’s instructions vs our intentions. We talked about how Holy and uncompromising God is, in the old Testament. We learn about how people would die right there and then for disobeying God. For instance, the priests that would enter the Holy of Holies had ropes tied around their ankles so that if they are found not properly prepared, the people would be able to pull them out using the rope if struck down and killed by God’s glory. Priests were the only ones allowed to enter the Holy of Holies to offer up sacrifices. There is also another account where Uzzah tried to help (good intentions) by stopping the Ark from falling, he was struck down right there and then. (Because the instructions of handling the Ark were not thoroughly followed through.) So, we talked about how we’re living in times where we sin everyday of our lives but we are not struck down! Has God become more lenient?
Manana mentioned the scripture: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23. He also mentioned Ephesians 1:5: “God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in sin.”
We discussed how this death could possibly not so much be in the flesh, but the death of our souls. Sin separates us from God and to be away from God is to be dead! Disconnect from God is death. The inability to tell right from wrong, and where conscience dwindles, is the result of sin. Yes, your body may be alive but your soul (what truly matters) is dead because of sin. In Zulu it is said: “unembeza ofile”, which when translated means a dead conscience. But when we turn away from sin through the help of the Holy Spirit by being accountable to someone, we come alive in Christ! When we confess our sins, we find healing!
It’s a hard place to come to terms with yourself, even harder having to speak out because we don’t want to change the way we are perceived. Especially when you are held in high esteem. It’s natural to want to look good and have a good name, even the Bible says a good name is better than the most expensive perfume. But what good is it when you are known to be good but when you sit down with yourself, you know of areas in your life that need to be confronted? Would it not be better to not look like you are in good standing, but to actually be in good standing? Is it not better to truly know, and be known by our Maker?
If you are struggling and find yourself living in sin as a worshiper/leader, I want to invite you to a place of freedom, which does not feel so freeing in the beginning but is ultimately liberating. Find people you can trust, be open and honest. Together you will find solutions that will bring you to a space where you do not just look like you have it all together, but you truly will be in right standing with our Holy God, Who is to be reverenced by us living holy lives. Not out of fear of hell, but from the revelation of His Holiness. Understanding that it is His kindness that leads us to repentance.
Jesus has paid it all on the cross. Living right is not attaining righteousness through our own works, but it is our response (worship) to God for being so kind to the point of saving us from eternal death and judgement
We are the generation of worshippers/leaders who will not just look right, but we will truly be in right standing with God through accountability and the help of the Holy Spirit. We are the generation that will lead worship in truth and in Spirit. We will lead worship with integrity, when eyes are on us as well as when they are off us. We will worship from a place of freedom from sin because we are fully alive in Christ.
Love Lebo!
Oh yes ses Lebo. All along I thought the verse..”for the wages of sin is death ” meant real death like coffin and all that. But when you said its the dying of the conscience. It hit hard, right there I had to introspect myself, question my right standing with God. Right now I’m repenting and hoping to find someone I can account to. Your blog was worth the wait, its so insightful. Thank you
Wow
So profound and so honest
To live accountable is to walk in right standing
To have sage spaces where we can confess our sin one to another
Wow
To live a life in reverence to our Holy God
Thank you Lebo
Hallelujah!!! We will worship from a place of Freedom! Whom the son sets free, is free INDEED…we truly walk in this freedom when we are confronted by TRUTH(of His word) and uphold it as a standard for our lives…not by strength nor works, but by the Help of the Spirit!!! Thanks sis
Word “for the wages of sin is death”. Death, meaning our souls. We walk around thing we are okay “by God’s grace” and yet we die each day because of sin. What a revelation I used to think it means literal death kantsi it’s so deep. Thank you for sharing
Thank you for this. You’ve also reminded me of the importance of being accountable to someone. There is truly such safety in accountability because the power of sin is in secrecy.
Wow accountability is a whole word, not talked about enough in lights of its impact to our walk of faith…
Thank you to remind us of the basics!
this I needed ngyabonga kakhulu❤️
My sister, thank you so mich for this blog, I’m a little late in reading it but it still carries relevance. I find myself in the same season. I am grateful that I an eco-system of worshipers and family who can hold me accountable and at the same time allow allow me to freely worship without any limitations. Over the past few year I’ve been questioning my calling in the body of Christ, because I felt like I do not meet the qualifying criteria for ministry, because I’m not perfect. But all of that doubts and fears and insecurities about His plan for me disappears when i find myself in worship. In His presence there is so mich comfort….in a season of madness and uncertainty… I find myself and my identity in God.
So now I’m on a journey to create a healthy ethos for my fellow believers who finds themselves in the same space, where worship in spirit and truth matters and where we can be accountable to one another and at the same time be able to really function in our gifts. I love ministry, I love worship and it means everything to me.
Thank you for your obedience in sharing, encouraging and ministering to us. I take comfort in knowing that God speaks through us through various forms.
Be blessed my sister
That is awesome! As we walk in the light, we have fellowship with others. Blessed to have been reminded of this simple profound truth.
Thank you!
Oh lebo thank you sis for the word, confessing Sin is a very powerful tool to praise God freely…I wish you can write a book more people abangasizakala through your talking and writing I hv a huge testimony with your writing and music and I need to tap to your anointing with my offering …I dont know how